Excavator bucket



Jan. 4 1944. s E 2,338,616

EXCAVATOR BUCKET Filed Jan. 19, 1945 INVENTOR. 6 4 5527- E flSA UE BY Patented Jan. 4, 1944 EXCAVATOR BUCKET Albert R. Askue, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Trencher Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 19, 1943 Serial No. 472,813

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved excavating bucket for trench digging machines and the like, and particularly to an improved excavator bucket which will facilitate the discharge of earth from the bucket and at the same time be durable and economically constructed. These, therefore, are the general objects of the present invention.

Trench digging machines are generally provided with a series of excavating buckets secured together by chains or attached to the periphery of an excavating wheel; The excavating buckets generally comprise a scoop shaped member having a solid back wall. In chain type machines the buckets discharge by gravity as the chains move around their upper driving sprockets and while the'buckets are in an inverted position. In wheel type machines, the buckets discharge by gravity when they reach the upper region of the wheel at which time they are in an inverted position. When excavating in Wet or sticky soil the bucket backs are omitted and, instead, the bucket is provided with a plurality of spaced fingers or tines extending inwardly from the rear edge thereof. These fingers assist in retaining a load in the bucket but permit the buckets to pass stationary cleaner members which project into the bucket between the fingers and forcibly eject the load.

Excavating buckets of the type with which the present invention is concerned have been made in various sizes and shapes, each requiring several fingers. The fingers on various buckets have differed from each other, as have the fingers on the individual buckets. The fingers are subjected to extremely hard usage particularly when operating in stony soil or around tree roots. This has made the attachment of the fingers to the bucket a serious problem.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an excavating bucket in which the fingers are attached in such a manner as to enable the use of identical fingers in various positions on the bucket and on buckets of various sizes. A further object is to provide an excavating bucket on which the fingers are attachedi'n such manner as to eliminate contact between the fingers and the Walls of the trench.

Another objectof the present invention is to provide an excavating bucket which may be readily and economically manufactured and yet which will withstand severe usage.

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accomken away to more clearly illustrate the attachment of the fingers to the bucket; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, as indicated by the lines 3-3 on Fig. 2, certain welds having been omitted; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail as indicated by the lines 4-4 on Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective of a finger attaching member or socket.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates an arcuate portion of a trenching machine digging wheel of the type shown in my pricr Patent 2,165,299, issued to the Cleveland Trencher Company, July 11, 1939, and reference may be had to such patent for a more complete description of a trenching machine and excavating wheel therefore. Briefly, such machines comprise a motor driven vehicle having at one end a carriage which supports a power driven digging wheel. The digging wheel usually comprises a pair of annular spaced rings, portions of which are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at It]. The rings I!) are supported by rollers I I carried by the carriage indicated at I2, the details of which are more fully explained in my prior patent heretofore mentioned.

The rings IQ of the excavating wheel are secured together in a spaced relationship by bucket I5. The buckets l5 comprise U-shaped members, so arranged that the ends of each U are secured to the rings Ill, as for instance by bolts l3 passed through openings in tie plates M which are welded to the bucket as at IS. The forward edges of the buckets 15 are sometimes provided with digging teeth or rooters l'l.

Digging is accomplished by rotating the wheel in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1, while moving the machine substantially horizontally along the ground in the direction of the arrow B. The material being'dug is retained in the buckets and in'the space between the rings ID by a shield l8 which bridges the gap between the two rings. The shield I8 terminates before the bucket reaches the uppermost reach of the wheel Whereupon the material falls onto a conveyor (not shown) When digging in sticky soil the tendency of the soil to adhere to the walls of the bucket is such that gravity alone will not discharge the In my prior patent the rear ends of the buckets are shown as being provided with fingers which extend from the base of the bucket upwardly into the space between the rings of the digging wheel. These spaced fingers form a back for the bucket and retain the material therein as the bucket moves towards its upper position but at the same time permit fork-like bucket cleaner members to pass between the fingers and eject the material from the bucket. Generally the bucket fingers comprise bent bars having a portion thereof underlying the bottom of the bucket and secued thereto by bolts. Due to the severe usage to which a trenching machine of this general character is put, considerable difficulty has been encountered in securing the fingers to the buckets in a manner which would permit replacement. This is particularly true, inasmuch as the outer face of the bucket is subjected to an abrasive action which destroys the securing means and the finger itself.

To overcome the disadvantages of the past constructions I removably mount a plurality of straight rods or fingers 20 in socket members 2i and secure the latter to the bucket. The fingers may be held in the sockets by tapered pins 22 which pass through the socket and engage a transverse slot formed in the finger. Abrasive action on the ends of the pin 22 neither destroys the pin nor prevents it from being driven out to remove and replace the finger.

The sockets 25 are so formed as to permit them to be securely fastened to the bucket by welding and at the same time facilitate the cleaning of the bucket. The sockets 2| are best illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. As there shown each socket comprises a bar having a bore 24 extending inwardly from one end thereof to receive a finger 2c and a transverse bore 2.5 for the re ception of tapered pin 22 heretofore mentioned. The lower end of the socket is closed and provided with a downwardly extending lip 3i! which, together with the bottom of the socket, forms an angular seat. The inner wall 3i of the projection 35.! is arranged to bear againts the end wall 32 of the bucket, the length of the projection being such that when the base 34 of the socket is in contact with the inner face 35 of the bucket the projection Eb does not extend outwardly beyond the outer face 36 of the bucket shell. Thus, no portion of the socket or finger is subjected to the highly abrasive actions of the digging operation.

The buckets on trenching machines are of vari ous sizes. The curvature of the bottom of the bucket varies as does the size of the buckets. However, I so arrange my finger socket that it may be used in substantially any location 'on the tion transversely of the bucket and regardless of the curvature thereof, thus enabling one socket to be used for buckets of all sizes. Further, the curvature of the base of the socket provides a seat for a weld ii! (Fig, 2) which joins the base to the inner face of the bucket. Other welds indicated at M join the projection 3!! of the socket to the rearmost edge of the bucket wall.

I claim:

1. An excavator bucket of the class described, said bucket having a plurality of sockets projecting inwardly from the rear edge thereof, and a finger removably secured in each of said sockets and extending inwardly to form a rear wall for said bucket.

2. An excavator bucket of the class described having a plurality of sockets projecting inwardly from its rear edge, each of said sockets having a pair of angularly disposed faces, one of said faces being welded to the inner wall of the bucket and the other being welded to the rear edge of the bucket, and fingers removab'ly secured in respective sockets and extending inwardly parallel to each other to form a rear wall for said bucket.

3. In an excavator bucket of the class described, a plurality of sockets projecting inwardly from its rear edge, each of said sockets having a face portion welded to the inner face of the bucket, a downwardly extending projection welded to the end of the bucket, and fingers removably secured in respective sockets and extending inwardly to form a rear wall for said bucket.

4. An excavator bucket of the class described, having a plurality of individual sockets welded to and projecting inwardly from its rear edge, and a straight bar removably secured in each socket and extending inwardly parallel to each other to form a rear Wall for said bucket.

5. In an excavator bucket of the class described, a plurality of sockets projecting inwardly from its rear edge, each of said sockets having a curved face portion welded to the inner face of the bucket, a downwardly extending projection welded to the end of the bucket, and fingers removably secured to respective sockets and extending inwardly to form a rear wall for said bucket.

6. In an excavator bucket of the class described, having its major body portion of a 'U- shaped plate, a plurality of spaced sockets welded to said body portion adjacent its rear edge and extending inwardly therefrom, each socket having a curved base whereby .the sockets may be positionedat any point along the inner surface of the bucket with their axes extending parallel with the sides or the bucket, and fingers removably secured to the respective sockets.

'Z. An excavator bucket of the class described, having a plurality ofsockets projecting inwardly froni'its rearedge, eachxof said sockets having a pair of angularly disposed basewalls, one of said walls being welded to the end wall .ofth'e bucket, and the other wall being curved and welded to the inner fJaceof the bucket, and limgers reincvably secured in respective sockets'ian'd extending inwardly parallel to each other to .form a rear wall for said bucket.

.8. In an excavator bucket of the class describedphaving its major body portion of a U shaped metal plate, a plurality of spaced sockets welded tosaid body portion adjacent. its .rear edge and extending inwardly therefrom, each'socket being, identical with each other socket in vsurrface contour and size and "having a base of a projection having curved lower surfaces of a greater degree of curvature than the curvature of the body of bucket, whereby the socket may be positioned at any point along the inner surface of the bucket with its axis extending parallel with the sides of the bucket, the difference in curvature forming pockets to facilitate the welding of the socket face to the bucket, and axially extending fingers removably secured to said sockets with their axes parallel to the side walls of the bucket.

ALBERT R. ASKUE. 

